Evidence of meeting #135 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was accessible.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President, CNIB Guide Dogs, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
It also has the volunteer service, whereby, if I want to have somebody specific, I ask for them to volunteer, and they come on the camera. I show the camera, and they describe things. Be My Eyes is what it's called.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
To clarify, in terms of age, I've celebrated the 24th anniversary of my 50th birthday. I'll go forward with that.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Your role as the treasurer for the World Blind Union establishes what...? I'd like to know what you're seeing as trends in different parts of the world that could be good opportunities for Canada to consider as best practices.
President, CNIB Guide Dogs, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
The World Blind Union is a coalition of organizations, often for the blind, and we are in 190 countries in six regions. We get to see the best of the best and the worst of the worst.
I would say Japan.... The Emperor of Japan, who has a grandson who is blind, has decreed that the entire country will be accessible. You find Braille everywhere, and large print, colour contrast and tactile indicators. There is nowhere I went in Japan that wasn't accessible. When it comes to the physical environment, Japan is the place to look.
I would say that there's a lot of work being done right now in digital accessibility. The problem with that, of course, is that digital is an international space, and it's kind of this concept rather than a physical space. It's very difficult to do that. I would say that there's a lot of work being done in that area that we could be looking towards in finding ways to create better technology access.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Mr. Van Bynen.
Ms. Chabot, it's over to you for two and a half minutes.
Bloc
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Bergeron, I am going to ask you a short question, and I would like to hear your recommendations, if there's time.
Why do you say that guide dogs are not accepted in society?
President, CNIB Guide Dogs, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
In the 40 years that I've been using guide dogs, I have been refused access to everything from ride-share and taxis to restaurants, hospitals and hotel spaces. I have been refused in libraries and public buildings. It happens regularly, to the point where I can tell you that I do not call a taxi or a ride-share without having a sighted person with me to make sure they can check the licence plate and be there as a witness, because it happens sometimes two or three times in a day.
Bloc
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
If I understand correctly, it deprives you of independence you would otherwise have if you weren't running into those barriers.
Can the regulations be changed to ensure that people who need a guide dog are not denied access to public spaces or transportation?
President, CNIB Guide Dogs, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
I don't think it changed. The regulations and the legislation are in place. It's the enforcement that's part of the problem again. It's all about enforcement.
Also, it's about attitude. People don't understand it. In the time I've been with CNIB guide dogs, so since 2020, I have had people return their guide dogs after the dogs have been trained and after they have spent about a year with their dogs. I've had them return their dogs to CNIB and say, “I love the independence. I can get up and move around independently, but I can't go any further than the door, because the access refusals are becoming more of a barrier than the lack of independence to go freely around my environment.”
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
That's unbelievable.
Thank you very much, Ms. Bergeron.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
We have Ms. Zarrillo to conclude.
You have two and a half minutes.
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Thank you so much, Chair.
Thank you so much to our witness today.
I thank you for raising Japan. I was fortunate enough when I was a city councillor to be on the accessibility committee for almost a whole eight years, and one of our members was from Japan. She actually leads the blind tennis in Coquitlam. She was constantly raising all the opportunities for us as a city to do better in making streets, parks and just city life in general more accessible.
You shared the larger opportunities for Braille, but I remember her mentioning to me even the way that pathways and sidewalks are done to make them much more accessible. I wonder if you could share some of the things you've seen, even across the globe, that have been very effective in making full inclusion in city life more possible.
President, CNIB Guide Dogs, Canadian National Institute for the Blind
Sure.
One thing would be tactile walking surface indicators. When you get to the corners and there are little bumps on the ground, those are for us, to stop us from walking into traffic. They're very helpful. There are a lot of those in Japan.
One of the things that are interesting and that I've seen in many big cities—Japan was the first place I saw it—is that there are a couple of grooves in the middle of every sidewalk. You can put the tip of your white cane into that to follow that groove, or you can walk with your dog and keep your foot on it. It walks you straight down the sidewalk. That is an amazing feature for people, especially people who use canes. Unfortunately—because, again, of attitude, education and awareness—it's a wonderful feature until you come across the bike that's parked across it or the business that has decided to put its garbage across that line. Those are some of the things that do become barriers a bit.
One of the most interesting ones that I really enjoyed in Japan was when you go into their very well-known train system and put your hand on the railing to go up or down the stairs. When you get to the top or the bottom, underneath the railing is written, in Braille, what level you're at, what floor or which platform you're at. Sighted people don't notice it, but a blind person actually feels it with their fingers underneath as they're holding the railing. I love that feature. I thought it was amazing. If I could read Japanese Braille, it would be even better, but I thought it was a fantastic way of hiding a piece of accessibility and giving us a bit of an edge.
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
It's just on the infrastructure, Mr. Chair.
If I could ask that we get to this committee what the procurement process is for federal infrastructure in relation to disabilities and low vision and blind individuals, as part of this study, that would be great.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Madam Zarrillo.
Thank you, Madam Bergeron, for taking the time to be with us here today and for enlightening this committee on the challenges you face.
Committee members, I have two items. Minister Khera has confirmed her availability to appear for two hours on Thursday, December 12, and Minister Boissonnault will appear on seasonal workers on November 26, from 11:00 to 12:00.
As well, I need direction on Bill C-378, Madam Vien.
The committee initially agreed to Friday, November 22, as the deadline to submit briefs for Bill C-378. To provide the public with a little more time, is it the will of the committee to extend that deadline to Wednesday, November 27?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Does the committee approve the release of the draft press release prepared for Bill C-378?
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Mr. Chair, as we make these changes to our calendar and our meetings, could we just routinely, every time there is a change in our calendar, circulate an updated version?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
That's a good point.
With that, is it the will of the committee to adjourn?